Political biases Political biases in higher in higher

education:education:Criteria and Criteria and

evidenceevidenceMarkus Kemmelmeier, Ph.D.Markus Kemmelmeier, Ph.D.University of Nevada, RenoUniversity of Nevada, Reno

Biographical noteBiographical note

Ph.D. in psychology (University of Ph.D. in psychology (University of Michigan, 2001)Michigan, 2001)

Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Social Psychology, Dept of Social Psychology, Dept of Sociology, University of NevadaSociology, University of Nevada

Teaching and research in the area Teaching and research in the area of of social psychology of social psychology of educationeducation

Political biases in Political biases in EducationEducation

Different meanings of “bias”Different meanings of “bias” Differential student support, comfortDifferential student support, comfort Differential hiring, firing of instructors/personnelDifferential hiring, firing of instructors/personnel Discriminatory teaching practicesDiscriminatory teaching practices Different expectations for members of different Different expectations for members of different

groupsgroups Favoritism, partial evaluation of performanceFavoritism, partial evaluation of performance

Are there politically/ideologically motivated Are there politically/ideologically motivated GRADING BIASESGRADING BIASES that challenge principles that challenge principles of fairness and equity?of fairness and equity? SYSTEMATIC?SYSTEMATIC? LARGE-SCALE?LARGE-SCALE?

Presumed by Academic Freedom Movement

Perceptions of political Perceptions of political biasbias

Subjective assessments of Subjective assessments of bias often flawedbias often flawed Self-servingSelf-serving InaccurateInaccurate Driven by distrustDriven by distrust

Anecdotal evidence, case Anecdotal evidence, case studies not representativestudies not representative Self-selection problemSelf-selection problem Claims of bias receive undue Claims of bias receive undue

attentionattention Objective and systematic Objective and systematic

evidence needed to evidence needed to establish presence establish presence (absence) of bias(absence) of bias

Establishing Grading Establishing Grading BiasBias

BIASBIAS: “Undeserved (dis)advantage to : “Undeserved (dis)advantage to individuals because of non-pertinent individuals because of non-pertinent characteristics”characteristics”

Bias Bias as deviation from deservingnessas deviation from deservingness must be demonstratedmust be demonstrated

Farkas, Sheehan & Grobe (1990) Farkas, Sheehan & Grobe (1990) Amer Educ Amer Educ Research JResearch J

Middle school studentsMiddle school studentsStud. Background:GenderRace/ethnicitySocial class

GradeBias?

Farkas et al. (1990)Farkas et al. (1990)

Stud. Background:GenderRace/ethnicitySocial class

Grade

Objective merit:Coursework mastery

Student conduct

Do race, gender, class differences in Do race, gender, class differences in grades reflect differences in grades reflect differences in objective merit or bias?objective merit or bias?

Bias (?)

Higher grades than deserved:- Girls-Caucasians-Asians- higher SES

Student-instructor Student-instructor similaritysimilarity

Student-instructor similarity Student-instructor similarity results results sometimessometimes in higher in higher students gradesstudents grades Instructor bias?Instructor bias?

Instructor has to have opportunity to show Instructor has to have opportunity to show (ideological) favoritism(ideological) favoritism

Is similarity incidental to student Is similarity incidental to student behavior?behavior?

Compatibility of styles?Compatibility of styles? Student motivation?Student motivation?

What is the process that links political student- instructor similarity to higher grades?

Political ideology of Political ideology of facultyfaculty

ESTABLISHEDESTABLISHED: : Higher ed faculty are more left-Higher ed faculty are more left-

leaning than general populationleaning than general population Social science, humanities faculty very Social science, humanities faculty very

left-leaningleft-leaning Economists, business faculty moderately Economists, business faculty moderately

left-leaningleft-leaning NOT NOT (yet?)(yet?) ESTABLISHED ESTABLISHED that that

left-leaning faculty orientation translates left-leaning faculty orientation translates into a academic disadvantage for right-into a academic disadvantage for right-leaning studentsleaning students

Kemmelmeier, Danielson & Kemmelmeier, Danielson & Basten (2005), Basten (2005), Personality & Social Personality & Social

Psych BulletinPsych Bulletin

Compatibility effects:Compatibility effects: Students’ Students’ political ideology and success in political ideology and success in strongly left-leaning fields and not-so strongly left-leaning fields and not-so left-leaning fieldsleft-leaning fields

Large-scale examination of almost Large-scale examination of almost an entire college cohort (3890 an entire college cohort (3890 students) at a major public students) at a major public university over 4 yearsuniversity over 4 yearsDo conservatives and liberals with same qualifications get different Do conservatives and liberals with same qualifications get different

grades in the grades in the samesame classroom? classroom?

Liberal studentConservative

student

SOCIOLOGY 101 ECONOMICS 101

A conservative and liberal student with identical qualifications (e.g. test scores) and background characteristics take the same pair of courses

GRADELiberal = GRADEConserv GRADELiberal < GRADEConserv

Student political ideologyhas no influence

The conservative student receives a better grade

Compounding GPA Compounding GPA differences differences over timeover time

GPA advantageGPA advantage of conservative student of conservative student over liberal students in very left-leaning fields over liberal students in very left-leaning fields (e.g., sociology) vs. not so left-leaning fields (e.g., sociology) vs. not so left-leaning fields (e.g., economics)(e.g., economics)

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

Econ 101Soc 101

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Findings not compatible with notion of pervasive anti-conservative grading bias

Process?Bias?

Ideal Study to Establish Ideal Study to Establish Political BiasPolitical Bias

Assess student politicsAssess student politics Assess objective student deservingness/meritAssess objective student deservingness/merit Assess instructor politics Assess instructor politics (!)(!) Assess if instructor is aware of students Assess if instructor is aware of students

politics politics (!)(!) Examine Examine

IFIF student politics has an influence on grades student politics has an influence on grades netnet of deservingness/merit of deservingness/merit

HOWHOW student politics has an influence on student politics has an influence on gradesgrades

Anti-conservative grading biases not been empirically established, but research cannot (yet) answer some critical questions

AppendixAppendix

What the research cannot What the research cannot yet answeryet answer

How general are existing findings from How general are existing findings from systematic research?systematic research?

Are student perceptions of political Are student perceptions of political bias accurate?bias accurate?

What is the educational cost of the What is the educational cost of the mere perceptionmere perception of political bias? of political bias?

Are existing political compatibility Are existing political compatibility effects masked by conservative effects masked by conservative students “faking” views that their students “faking” views that their teacher wants to hear?teacher wants to hear?

Appendix 1.1

Sidanius et al. (1991), Sidanius et al. (1991), Political Political PsychologyPsychology

FINDING: “Conservative students FINDING: “Conservative students have lower cumulative GPAs than have lower cumulative GPAs than liberal students”liberal students”

Numerous potential explanationsNumerous potential explanations ““Conservatives are discriminated against”Conservatives are discriminated against” ““Conservatives are not as academically Conservatives are not as academically

prepared as liberals”prepared as liberals” ““Conservatives are not as motivated as Conservatives are not as motivated as

liberals”liberals” ““Conservatives take harder classes”Conservatives take harder classes”

Are conservative and liberal students comparable?

Appendix 2.1

Course choice and GPACourse choice and GPA

ConservativeConservative students more likely to students more likely to choose choose business, economicsbusiness, economics classes/majors (=classes/majors (=less left-leaning fieldsless left-leaning fields))

LiberalLiberal students more likely to choose students more likely to choose sociology, anthropologysociology, anthropology etc. etc. classes/majors (=classes/majors (=more left-leaning fieldsmore left-leaning fields))

Business, economics classes are “harder”Business, economics classes are “harder” Lower average gradesLower average grades

Sociology, anthropology classes are Sociology, anthropology classes are “easier”“easier” Higher average gradesHigher average grades

Conservative students have lower GPAs Conservative students have lower GPAs than liberal studentsthan liberal studentsDifferent outcomes due to course choice, not grading bias!

Appendix 2.2

Anti-conservative bias in faculty Anti-conservative bias in faculty hiring?hiring?

Rothman, Lichter & Nevitte (2005) Rothman, Lichter & Nevitte (2005) The The ForumForum Bias Bias as deviation from deservingnessas deviation from deservingness

Surveyed 1643 faculty from 183 collegesSurveyed 1643 faculty from 183 colleges Keeping background variables + Keeping background variables +

academic accomplishmentacademic accomplishment constantconstant Conservatives/Republicans/practicing Conservatives/Republicans/practicing

Christians were employed at less prestigious Christians were employed at less prestigious institutions than liberals/Democrats/non-institutions than liberals/Democrats/non-religious individualsreligious individuals

Process?Bias?

Potential alternative explanations?

Appendix 3.1

Presentation downloadable from:Presentation downloadable from:

http://equinox.unr.edu/homepage/markusk/http://equinox.unr.edu/homepage/markusk/politicalbiasesEWA.pptpoliticalbiasesEWA.ppt

Author contact:Author contact:

Markus Kemmelmeier, Ph.D.Markus Kemmelmeier, Ph.D.Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Social PsychologyInterdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Social PsychologyDepartment of Sociology/300Department of Sociology/300University of NevadaUniversity of NevadaReno, Nevada 89557Reno, Nevada 89557(775) 784-1287(775) 784-1287markusk@unr.edumarkusk@unr.edu